Keep Holding On
by Claire Chase
Summary: [at least a year before movie. AU later on] Jack comes back to visit Evelyn, and this visit could ultimately change the course of his life. [‘Cause you know we’ll make it through.]
1. Rescue

(at least a year before movie. AU later on) Jack comes back to visit Evelyn, and this visit could ultimately change the course of his life. (Tagline: 'Cause you know we'll make it through)

Welcome to my first Four Brothers story! I hope you all enjoy it. (This story is also known as (in my mind), in the words of Odysseus of Troy, "Women Have a Way Of…Complicating Things")

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Four Brothers; if I did, Jack being…you know…yeah, that never would have happened…EVER! (As in, not in a million years, when pigs fly, the apocalypse occurs, or when I marry Garrett Hedlund…which ever comes last…my bet is on the pigs or Garrett thing) Nor do I own the name of the band.

**Keep Holding On**

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**Chapter 1 – Rescue**

The cold, Detroit wind whipped Jack's hair and his scarf up a bit. Sure, Bobby, Angel, and Jeremiah teased him about his long hair; but part of being a rock star is to look like one. He continued trudging through the rather cold weather towards the Mercer home. Jack knocked on the door, then shifted back and forth a bit as he waited. Evelyn opened the door, looking up as she did so.

"Jack!" she said, slightly shocked but happy. "You should have told me you were coming!"

Evelyn hugged him.

"Sorry Mom," he said, slightly muffled.

"No need to say sorry," she told him, "Come inside before you freeze to death."

The two stepped inside. Evelyn headed towards the kitchen while Jack took his shoes off and hung up his coat.

"It's good to see you son. What are you planning on doing while you're in town?" she called to her son.

"Just…thought I'd visit."

"That's sweet of you." Noise came from the kitchen. "What would you like to eat?"

"Mom, it's almost 11," Jack said a little shocked.

"So?"

"At night."

"Well, it's not everyday my youngest son comes to visit! I should go make your bed!"

Evelyn was nearly everywhere, making Jack something to eat, making his bed; she was doing almost everything, some of which was unnecessary. Eventually, she sat down and began to talk with Jack.

"So, how's the band doing? Playing anywhere soon?"

"Well…"

"Because if you're playing nearby, you know I'll come, Jackie."

"Actually, we're going to be touring in about a week; opening for a band calledLithium."

"Oh, Jackie, that's wonderful! Where does it start?"

"Washington."

"D.C.?"

"The state," he said through bites of food.

"How long does it go?"

"About a year."

"I'm so proud of you."

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Jack felt kind of relaxed as he smoked his cigarette in the cold weather. The alleyway to the parking for the bar was rather well lit. Snow was lightly falling over Detroit. People came and went through the alley, talking about different things. It felt nice out compared to what he'd experienced in Los Angeles the past few months. Another man and a woman, who looked maybe around Jack's age, came out of the bar. Something seemed…wrong, other than the fact that she was wearing a very short black skirt, a pink shirt with barely any strap to it, a pale white hoodie, and heels. The man grasped her wrist tightly, dragging her to the middle of the parking lot. Jack leaned against a wall as they began to talk.

"What the hell were you thinking?" the man glared at her, pulling her to a stop.

She wouldn't look him in the eye. "That comment was –"

"Shut the fuck up."

"– really sexist."

"What'd you say?"

"It was sexist," she whispered.

He slapped her across the face. Her hand lightly touched the spot.

"You wanna say it again? Break the rules?"

The girl began to turn her body away; she still whispered. "I'm tired of this."

"What you saying now? More bull shit things?"

"It's done. I'm through with this."

"Huh?"

"This relationship is over."

She began to walk away; he grabbed her wrist again and yanked her towards him.

"This ain't over until I say it is."

The man began to hit her violently; the girl backed up, trying to hold her balance on the heels. Her back smacked against the wall, sending her crumbling to the ground. He hit her again, pinning her against the wall. Jack frowned; he could no longer ignore it. He dropped his cigarette to the ground, putting it out with his foot, and went over.

"Leave her alone," Jack's low tone broke the repeated hits.

The man looked at him fiercely. "What are you going to do about it?"

Jack had thought about this. He hated violence…but he knew what Bobby and Angel would do. He threw a punch to the guy's face, sending him to the ground. The man shot him another look of hatred and attempted to get up. Jack whipped out his lighter, igniting the flame.

"You wouldn't," the man commented, a look of fear in his eyes.

Jack moved the lighter closer. The man jumped up and stormed off, leaving Jack and the girl alone. He put his lighter away and kneeled next to her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think," she mumbled, her hand on the back of her head.

"Are you sure? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

"No, no, I'll be fine." She took her hand from her head and began to unhook the straps on her heels, leaning her head to examine the clips on the shoes. Jack caught a glimpse of the back of her head; it was bleeding from the impact with the wall. He stood up and extended her hand.

"Come on."

"What?"

"Your head is bleeding. You won't make it far alone."

"I'll be fine."

"Please. My mom and I'll get it bandaged up."

After a moment, she nodded. "Okay."

"All right."

She took Jack's hand, the straps of her heels in the other. He gently pulled her up. Jack began to go back to the house, carefully making sure she kept her balance and footing.

"My name's Jack."

"Jamie."

When they arrived at the Mercer home, Jack pulled out his key and let them into the house. "Ma? Ma?" he called.

"Oh, you're home Jack. Do you need anything?" Evelyn asked as she came down the stairs. "I didn't realize you had a friend with you. I'm Evelyn."

"Jamie," she smiled.

"Ma, where's the first aid kit?" Jack questioned her.

Jack had Jamie sit down on the couch; Evelyn and he got the first aid kit from the kitchen. "What happened Jack?"

"Her boyfriend was beating her."

"Couldn't stand by and let it happen?"

"Yeah; she's bleeding from the back of her head."

The two went back. Evelyn and Jamie talked as she worked on the wound. Jack observed.

"Well, it looks pretty good," Evelyn smiled and stood up as Jack and Jamie followed suit. "Sweetie, you really should stay the night."

"Oh, thank you, Evelyn, but I really should be getting home."

"You shouldn't be going far with the blood loss. Do you live with your boyfriend?"

"Yeah."

"Please just stay the night."

Jamie smiled a little. "Okay."

"Great!" Evelyn's face lit up. "Here, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping." Evelyn took off up the stairs, Jack and Jamie in tow. "Now, I'm going to go ahead and get some sleep, but you two can stay up as long as you like. Good night Jack! Good night Jamie!"

"Good night Ma."

"Good night Evelyn."

Evelyn disappeared into her room, the door shutting behind her. Jack and Jamie stood awkwardly in the hallway for a moment.

"Thank you, Jack."

"No problem. I think I'm going to…head off to bed too."

"Good night Jack.

"Night Jamie."

Jack went into his room; Jamie smiled and went into Jeremiah's room. She looked around for a moment, taking in the sight, then pulled the covers back and crawled in. Within moments, Jamie was sound asleep.

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So, hope you guys liked it. Please review, I'll send the flames…elsewhere for the moment. (Can't think of where to send them)


	2. Home Sweet Home

(at least a year before the movie. AU later on) Jack comes back to visit Evelyn, and this visit could ultimately change the course of his life. (Tagline: 'Cause you know we'll make it through)

Howdy! Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! Here's that promised chapter for you. Just a warning – I hate this chapter. It's really just a filler with some comedy. Don't hurt me too bad for it. I promise the following will only get better.

**Keep Holding On**

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**Chapter 2 – Home Sweet Home**

Jamie woke up to light coming through the window and silence through out the house. She sat up in the bed, running her hands through her messy amber hair. The smell of a cooking breakfast rose through the home. Slowly, Jamie wandered down to the kitchen. Jack stood at the stove helping Evelyn. Jamie smiled.

"Good morning Jamie," Evelyn's face had a warm smile spread on it. "How did you sleep?"

"Good, thanks. Anything I can help you with?"

"Oh, I think we're almost done here. Jack, why don't you and Jamie take a seat at the table?"

"Sure Ma." Jack picked up a pitcher of orange juice and headed for the breakfast table with Jamie following. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Well, you two enjoy your breakfast," Evelyn said, sitting down a bunch of plates.

"Where are you going?"

"Oh, Jeremiah and I have some errands to run today. Now, Jamie, please stay as long as you like. I'm not sure how long we'll be." Evelyn kissed Jack on the cheek. "See you soon Jackie."

"Bye Ma."

Evelyn went out the back door. Jack and Jamie began to put some food on their plates and ate in silence. Five minutes passed.

"So, how does someone like you end up with someone like that?" Jack asked, choosing his words carefully.

"One's father forces one to date the other."

Jack nodded a little, taking a bite of toast. "What do you want to do today?"

Jamie shrugged a little. "Whatever is fine."

They placed their dirty plates in the sink and went to the family room and sat in silence.

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"Jamie, can you hand me the salt?" Evelyn asked.

"Sure thing." All three of them stood around the kitchen stove, making breakfast. It seemed like forever since Jamie had joined them rather than three days.

"Now, Jack, you make sure to call once in a while," Evelyn told him.

Jack laughed a little. "I will Ma."

They brought the food to the breakfast table and began to eat and talk. None of them could be happier; Jack was going on tour, Evelyn was psyched about it, and Jamie had a new friend. Meals were her favorite time with this family…actually, it was probably any time when Jack and Evelyn were in the same room. There was such an iconic warm-fuzzy feeling like the one that you get from movie families when they're all together. It brought a small smile to her face.

"Well, Jackie, you better get packing if you're going to make it to the airport by noon."

"Okay Ma."

The three put their dishes in the sink. "Oh, Jamie, don't worry about it. I'll wash them."

Jack and Jamie went up to his room; he began to pack his bags as she leaned against the doorframe.

"So, what are you doing after this?" Jack threw a shirt in the suitcase.

"Oh, probably go back…"

"You live with him?" She nodded. Jack frowned a little, zipping up his suitcase. "What if…what if you came?"

"Huh?"

"Come with the band on tour." Jamie wrinkled her noise a little. "It beats going back there."

Jamie glanced at the ground thoughtfully for a moment and looked up. "Okay. I'll go."

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Carefully and quietly, Jamie unlocked the door to the apartment and snuck inside with Jack behind her. The apartment was empty. She went into the bedroom and began to throw her things quickly into a suitcase as Jack waited outside the door to the bedroom.

"Got everything?" Jack asked softly as she came out. Jamie nodded.

The door slammed. "Look who showed back up…who the hell are you?" Standing in front of them was the man from the bar. "Come to stay again?" He stepped closer.

"Leave her alone," Jack stuck his arm out as a barrier. "She told you it was over. Come on, let's leave." Jack placed his other hand behind her shoulder and guided her out.

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Getting an extra ticket was easier than Jack thought, especially for just getting out of the holiday season. They sat in chairs, waiting for the plane to begin boarding and for Jack's band mates. Things were fairly quiet at the airport for the time being.

"Yo Fairy!" a voice shouted.

Jack looked up. "Shit."

Bobby approached him. "What, you're not excited to see me?" Jack stood up and hugged Bobby. "Where are you flying?"

"Seattle."

"What for?"

"Going on tour Bobby. What about you?"

"Same place as you. Might have to check out that concert of yours…don't you need a band to go on tour?"

"They're not here yet."

"See you on the flight, Fairy." Bobby headed off towards the coffee shop, in search of something to drink.

"Jack!" a voice shouted. Two men, one with brown hair and the other with dyed black, approached them.

"Hey guys!"

"Ready for our first tour?" the black haired one asked.

"Hollywood, here we come!" the other added.

"This is going to be great," Jack told them. "Oh, guys, this is Jamie. Jamie, this is Tim," he pointed to the brown haired one, "and Andy," the black haired one.

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Two hours later, the flight had made its way into the air. Jack was had one earphone in, listening to music; Tim was reading a music magazine; Andy was watching the movie; and Jamie was reading a book. On the other hand, Bobby was bored out of his skull sitting behind Jack. What was there that he could possibly do on a flight to bug his brother? Bobby began poking Jack on the back of the head. Surprisingly, this was entertaining to him; he could have done this the whole flight until Jack turned around.

"Quit it man."

"Quit what?" Bobby asked innocently.

Jack shook his head and turned back around. Bobby pulled out his CD player and began to listen to a metal CD.

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Bobby began to poke Jack in the head again a few hours later. Unfortunately, Jack was fast asleep and couldn't feel a thing. This time, annoying Jack wasn't the goal, but waking him up rather. Bobby leaned forward.

"Hey, Jackie," Bobby hissed. Jack was still asleep, along with Tim (head tilted back), Andy (across the aisle, head slumped on shoulder), and Jamie (leaning against the side of the airplane). "Hey, Fairy, wake up!" he raised his voice a little. Nothing happened again. "This is what I get for being such a fucking good brother…" Bobby slipped Jack's headphones off and put his in their place, cranked the volume up, and hit play. Jack awoke with a start, ripping the earphones out. He glared at Bobby, who was laughing as hard as he could. "Man, do you always wake up like that?" Bobby got out between fits of laughter. "I should get a video camera next time; get ten thousand dollars!"

Jack cursed quietly. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Bobby's laughter subsided. "Flight's almost over."

Jack shook his head a little and lightly shoved Tim on the shoulder. "Almost there." Tim woke up immediately and went to wake up Tim. Jack turned to Jamie and lightly touched her shoulder. Jamie's eyes opened sleepily. "We're almost there." She slowly sat up, yawning.

Bobby leaned forward again. "Hey, Jackie, when did you get a girlfriend and not tell your big brother, huh?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Shut up man."

Bobby turned to Jamie. "You do know that he's gay, right?" He began to laugh again.

The stewardess came on over the intercom. "Welcome to Seattle, Washington. The current temperature is 67 degrees with rain…"

"No surprise there," Bobby remarked as the stewardess went through the list of connecting flights.

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Hope you enjoyed! Please review; flames to undisclosed location.


	3. Los Angeles

(at least a year before movie. AU later on) Jack comes back to visit Evelyn, and this visit could ultimately change the course of his life. (Tagline: 'Cause you know we'll make it through)

Welcome to the latest chapter! So, we've done a little time warp because it was way too hard for me to try and figure out things to go in between my big-little plot pieces. If you think that Jamie's just a damsel in distress…well, it all gets explained later on. You've just gotta trust me.

**Disclaimer: **Yep…still not owning it.

**Keep Holding On**

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**Chapter 3 – Los Angeles**

Jack came through the backstage door; he was ready to go to the hotel. He was very pleased with the performance; he looked around for Jamie backstage. It may have been only the third stop, but date wise, it was February 10th, a little over a month since they'd met. Jamie was like an honorary member of the band, both of them; Jack's band, Imaginary, and the nationally acclaimed one, Lithium. Everyone was attached to her; she'd came out of her shell some, but there was still something holding her back. He found her when he picked out her voice from the din.

"No; get away from me!"

He turned his attention to the corner of the room, where a roadie for Lithium had his hands grasping her wrists, trying to pull her with him; Jamie fought back as best as she could, but it was nothing compared to this guy's strength. Jack immediately knew what this guy was trying to do. He went towards the corner.

"Leave her alone, man," Jack told him.

"Stay out of this; she's just being difficult."

"Leave me alone!" Jamie told the man forcefully.

"Shut up," he told her.

"Back off," Jack told him.

"You don't even know her; why do you care?"

"I do know her and get away from her."

"What are you going to do if I don't?" the man asked Jack mockingly.

"You don't want to know, man."

By now, Jack's entire band was watching, along with the guards backstage and other roadies.

"Why don't you just run along with your little band and go bask in the after glow of your performance?"

"Come on, Jack," Tim told him, pulling his arm.

"I can handle it," Jamie assured him.

Reluctantly, Jack went with his band to the other half of the room; but, he still kept a close watch on Jamie. The man attempted to drag her away again. Jamie began to try and fight back. Rather than vocally fighting, he began to hit and kick her. Jack watched as Jamie fell to the ground after he made contact with her shin and ankles; Jamie relied on her defensive skills and curled into a ball. That was the last straw. Right in the middle of the conversation (which he hadn't been paying attention to), Jack stormed over towards the man.

"I told you that you didn't want to know."

And with that, Jack punched him in the face. The man reached for his face, reaching away with blood on his hand from his nose. He went to hit Jack, but he was beat to it. Jack took a couple more hits, sending the man to the ground. The guards, roadies, and Jack's band rushed over to and stared at the site. Jack helped Jamie up, and helped her exit the room. Luckily, the hotel was attached to the concert hall. Jack opened the door, allowing it to shut behind them, and had sit Jamie on the bed; he grabbed an ice pack and a few other medical supplies, went back, and sat next to her. His eyes refused to met hers.

"Are you alright?"

Jamie nodded. "I think so."

"I shouldn't have let that continue."

"Jack, you shouldn't say that."

"Why?"

"Because I got into that problem; you had nothing to do with it."

"It never should have happened."

"Jack…" There was silence. "You played beautifully," she said hopefully.

"Please – don't change the subject." Once again, silence ensued. After a moment, their eyes locked. Impulsively, Jack leaned forward and kissed Jamie. For a moment, Jamie was shocked, but then began to kiss back. This continued for a moment, until they broke to get a breath. "Jamie," Jack said in a hushed tone, "I refuse to let anyone hurt you because…I love you."

"Jack…" Rather than saying something, her actions expressed their meaning more than words could; Jamie leaned towards Jack and kissed him. For what only seemed like a minute in time (but it was actually quite longer), they continued to kiss, until a knock came at the door.

"Jack? You in there?" Tim asked through the door.

Jack and Jamie broke apart and remained silent, their heads tilted down and inches apart, their foreheads resting against the other.

"Dude?" another, Andy, tried.

"Yeah," Jack replied.

"Go," Jamie urged him quietly, "they want to talk to you. I've learned to clean my own wounds." She smiled.

Jack, slightly reluctant, stood up and went to the door. Sure enough, there was Andy and Tim.

"Man, can we see you out here for a minute?" Tim asked in a low voice.

Grudgingly, Jack stepped outside, allowing the door to shut. "What?" he asked.

"What was up with that?" Andy questioned.

"With what?"

"The fight; that's what," Tim answered.

Jack looked away, brushing his hair back; he wasn't sure about how to answer this. "It's…complicated," he muttered.

"Complicated in what way?"

"We'd like some answers, Jack."

How to say it? That was the question running through Jack's mind; if he came out and said he loved her, they'd question his sanity; if he said he refused to let her be treated that way, they'd question as to why; either way, even if he went with the unthought-of options, questions would arise.

"Jack?" Andy broke through his thoughts. "You can tell us, man."

"We're your friends; that's why we care."

Jack sighed. "I'll tell you, but you're going to think I'm crazy."

"In that case, maybe we should have a drink before you tell us."

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Jack, Andy, and Tim sat at the hotel bar, their glasses in front of them. He'd explained it all. Of course, now, all Jack had to do was wait and see how crazy his best friends thought he was. It was silent for a moment before anyone spoke.

"So, that's the truth?" Andy asked.

"All of it. You can go ahead and tell me I'm crazy now."

Tim looked at him. "What? You think we're gonna tell you that you're crazy?"

"Jack, Jamie's beautiful. The fact that you take notice of that and how sweet she is doesn't show insanity."

Tim put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Man, go for it. We're not gonna stop you."

Jack pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. "Listen, I wrote this song…" Tim and Andy looked at it.

"Man, this is…deep."

"Yeah; you wrote this for her?"

"You know…sleepless nights…the need to write…"

"How long ago?"

"A week or so."

"It's good dude." Tim handed the paper to him.

"What's the plan?"

"I want to play it at a concert…but it's only got a guitar part for it."

"That's fine. Here, let's go grab your guitar and head over to our room and hear it," Andy suggested.

They put some money on the counter and left the bar; they retrieved Jack's guitar from backstage and headed for their room. Jack played the song.

"Well, anything?"

Tim pointed to a part in the song on the crumpled paper. "That part, maybe change the chord to another one."

"And take that note one lower in the vocal part."

"It's good though." A knock came at the door. Andy answered it. "Hey guys, come on in." The five members of Lithium piled into the room.

"Hey, is Jamie all right?" Charlie asked, sitting down on the edge of a bed.

"Yeah, she's doing fine."

"You guys should see this song Jack wrote." Tim handed Alex the paper.

"That's good man," Alex passed the paper around.

James scanned it and looked up. "Did you write it for Jamie?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I did."

"You gonna play it at a concert?" Carl questioned.

"Want to."

"You should. This is a great job," Liam agreed.

"Can we hear it?" Charlie inquired. Jack played it for them.

"You should play it in a concert or two."

۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰

Jack shut the door to his room and went further in. The T.V. rambled on softly as Jamie lay asleep on a bed. He smiled at her sleeping form and sat on the opposite side of the bed. Pieces of her dark blonde, some copper red color, hair fell on her face messily, her green eyes shut, one arm under her head and the other lain out slightly. Jack brushed a lock of hair from her face; she looked rather…angelic. He dared not to disturb her, so he moved towards the backside of the bed, where he fell asleep. The next time he woke up was to the soft sound of a talk show and running water. Jack slowly sat up, leaning against the backboard, and flipping the volume up a little. This continued for about five minutes. Jamie stumbled out of the bathroom, back in the same clothing as the night before, her dark blonde hair now a deep brown from all of the water. Jack stood up, walking towards her.

"Good morning."

"Morning," she whispered. Jack kissed her lightly.

"Sleep well?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Perfectly." The two went and sat on the bed. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Oh, I don't know…what do you want to do?"

"Well, there's the beach…"

"Or we could just rent a movie."

"I think that sounds great," Jamie smiled.

A knock came at the door. Jack answered it. James stood outside the door. "Hey, we were going to order in a movie and some food. You guys want to join us?"

Jack looked at Jamie. She nodded. "Sure." The two followed James to Lithium's suite. The rest of the band, Tim, and Andy were already lounging around the large suite, snacks strewn across the room. James took a seat in a chair. Jack chose a spot in front of a bed, leaning his back against it. Jamie sat next to him quietly.

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Hope you enjoyed it. Please review!


	4. Phoenix

(at least a year before the movie

(at least a year before the movie. AU later on) Jack comes back to visit Evelyn, and this visit could ultimately change his life.(Tagline: 'Cause you know we'll make it through)

Yeah, I know. I've been slacking off and haven't looked at this story for a while, but here's a new chapter! A short one, but another new one is right on the way to be posted. So, please enjoy! Also, now we're finally getting some songs incorporated in, but please don't make fun of them. I try my best and song writing is my biggest writing/musical weakness.

**DISCLAIMER: No ownage…except for Jamie…and the song that is to follow.**

**Keep Holding On**

**Chapter 4 – Phoenix**

In the middle of the concert, Jack nodded towards his fellow band mates. Andy and Tim smiled somewhat mischievously and went off stage. Jack pulled out the stool that was sitting off to the side and grabbed his acoustic guitar. He sat down in front of the microphone.

"This next song was written about a week ago, while we've been on tour. There've been…" he paused, laughing a little. "…many sleepless nights. On this particular night, I woke up and…just had the idea for a song in my mind. So, I wrote it down, got a tune for it, and showed it to Tim and Andy. This song was written for somebody very special to me." He leaned forward a bit for a moment. "This is for Jamie." Jack played his guitar softly and slowly, the second microphone picking it up.

_She's an angel_

_Came down from heaven above_

_I don't know why_

_She chose me_

_She's amazing_

_Every minute of everyday_

_Never ceases_

_She always blows me away_

_She's an angel from heaven_

_Every kiss that she gives never fades away_

_And I don't know why she chose me_

_But I'm glad that she did 'cause_

_She's an angel_

_She's there for me_

_When I need a lift up off the ground_

_She's beautiful_

_Asleep or awake_

_Anywhere, anytime_

_She's an angel from heaven_

_Every kiss that she gives never fades away_

_And I don't know why she chose me_

_But I'm glad that she did 'cause_

_She's an angel_

_With her halo_

_Always there, and I pray_

_That she_

_Won't spread her wings_

_And fly away from me_

'_Cause I love her_

_She's my angel _

_From heaven_

_Every kiss that she gives never fades away_

_And I don't know why_

_She chose me_

_But I'm glad that she did 'cause_

_She's an angel_

Jamie stood backstage, slightly gaping at the song, amazed at just the fact it was about her. She felt Tim and Andy shoving her onstage; Jamie willed her feet to move. The two smirked as they put their plot, unbeknownst to Jack, into action. Jack saw Jamie out of the corner of his eye; he got up, sitting his guitar in its stand. The two moved closer, until they were actually within reaching distance. For a moment, it was as if everyone else just…disappeared. Jamie hugged him and they began to kiss. Before they knew it, reality caught up with them; cheering, applauding, and whistles filled the air.

"Me?" she asked him, her voice nearly drowned out by the cheers.

"Never anyone else," Jack smiled at her. Jamie hugged him a bit tighter as Jack kissed her forehead lightly. Jamie's smile had never been bigger and brighter in her whole life. The crowd cheered as Andy and Tim headed out to their spots for the next song.

"Okay, I think we've had enough of the lovey-dovey stuff," Tim teased over the sound system. It was obvious to everyone. Jack and Jamie laughed a little. "Well, it's almost time for Lithium to come out, so we better get finished up, shouldn't we Jack?"

"Yeah, we probably should," Jack answered. He kissed Jamie quickly before she disappeared backstage again.

۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰

The bands all lounged in a large suite for Lithium, watching the T.V. Bowls of snacks were littered around the room. Band member were spread across the room as well. Everyone was just enjoying a day off from a concert.

"How can you guys stand these shows?" Jamie asked, looking at the Hollywood report show that was on.

"Eh, you get used to it," James took a bite of popcorn.

"As for all of those who attended the Lithium concert in Phoenix last night, their up and coming opening band, Imaginary, premiered a new song, _Angel_, written by their lead singer, Jack Mercer, for a very special someone," the woman reported. "After their February 10th concert in L.A., Jack was spotted with a girl who's joined them on the tour, Jamie Evans. The pair have been near inseparable since that date, and after last night's display of affection, plans of a wedding come to mind." The group stared, mouths a gape, at the television. A clip of Jack's performance came on screen and cut to a clip of Jack and Jamie after she had been shoved on stage. "For now, the entire world will wait in anticipation to see what becomes of this beautiful couple."

"Oh…my…god," Andy said as he stared at the T.V.

"Did that…" Tim began.

"Yeah…" Jack answered.

"You guys are famous now," Alex commented.

"Wow…" Jamie leaned against the foot of the bed, still in shock. She, Jack, Andy, and Tim all couldn't believe that had just happened. All of a sudden, Imaginary was shooting to fame…and taking Jamie with them for the ride. Sure, there had been tons of people at the concerts, but that was mainly attributed to Lithium being the headliner. They were probably gaining a few fans here and there, but was it that big of a deal to be put on a _Hollywood report_?

So, thanks for reading. Please review! Hope you enjoyed!


	5. Haunted

(at least a year before movie

(at least a year before movie. AU later on) Jack comes back to visit Evelyn, and this visit could ultimately change the course of his life. (Tagline: 'Cause you know we'll make it through)

See? I told you another chapter was coming up quickly! And this one's longer. So, we're kind of jetting through quickly, but trust me, it's worth it.

**DISCLAIMER: Still no own.**

**Keep Holding On**

**Chapter 5 – Haunted**

April 5th found them in Wichita, Kansas. So far, they'd made it from Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Kansas City. Now, Imaginary had even been featured in a magazine article, which was also comprised of a small section on the couple. Jamie smiled, clapping in beat with the drumming provided by Andy; unfortunately, her head pounded along with every hit of the drumstick. She'd never experienced a headache like this before; she went towards the door, pausing when stopped by James.

"Hey, where are you going?" James inquired.

"I've got a headache; going to get some fresh air."

James smiled as Jamie opened the door. As it slammed behind her, she took in a deep breath of the rain scented air, the sound of the large droplets of rain pounding the streets. It was a very calming sound. Jamie took a few steps out, letting the rain soak into her clothing, hair, and skin. She'd really come out of her shell through the past 6 tour stops; she was smiling, even laughing, her personality had really shown through. Even her bruises and cuts were disappearing, one by one, taking some of the memories of the past abuse with them. The door slammed shut again loudly; Jamie turned around, and was afraid and unhappy at who had come out.

"What? You're not happy to see me?" the roadie took his hat off, hair falling out, revealing who it truly was under that hat all the time.

"What are you doing here?" Jamie asked, taking a slightly defensive stance.

"Can't I work on a tour of an internationally acclaimed band?" his voice dripped as if the rain hit it and turned to ice.

"You did this on purpose."

He stepped closer. "Of course I did Jamie."

"Get away from me, Ben."

Ben stepped closer yet again, and again, and then again, grabbing her wrist. "Why should I?"

Jamie looked into his eyes. He nearly began to laugh at the fear in her eyes. "Let go Ben."

"You used to like it when I was like this." He smirked.

"I never did and you knew it."

"Shit, girl; why didn't you just say something?"

"Shut up. You wouldn't have given a damn if I had died at your hands." Jamie could hardly believe that the words were even coming out of her mouth. Before Jack, she never would have even dared to say something like this.

"Well, now we can make amends." He grabbed her other wrist. Jamie tried to pull herself from his grip, but it only resulted in them circling each other. He stepped closer. "Tonight," he laughed evilly, "tonight, I'm going to have fun."

Jamie began to fight harder, crying out loudly, but no one could hear her. Ben grasped her wrists tightly

۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰

Jack, Tim, and Andy came off the stage, the sound of the crowd cheering wildly behind them. It was like a natural high when they came off, even though both bands would be exhausted the next morning. Jack looked around for Jamie, but didn't see her.

"Hey, man," Jack asked one of the roadies, "Have you seen Jamie?"

"She went out the backdoor; had a headache, needed to step out." The roadie continued on, going and setting up the equipment for the band.

"Jack, you notice anything missing?" Tim questioned.

"Other than Jamie?" Andy added.

It took Jack a moment before he realized it. "Shit," he cursed. "Get a few officers," Jack instructed Tim and Andy, without looking. Andy went towards the backstage door where some police officers were; Jack took off to the backdoor, Tim trailing behind.

۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰

"Get off of me!" Jamie cried, "What the hell is wrong with you, Ben?!"

"And after that…" Ben mocked, laughing slightly at the end.

The sentence was never finished. The backdoor flew open, Jack and Tim running out, followed by Andy and the cops. The rain continued to pour, showing no end. One of the cops pulled out his radio and began to shout into it. Tim hit Ben square on in the face, causing him to fall back, away from Jamie. Andy quickly joined Tim in holding back Ben. Jamie turned away from Ben; Jack went closer to her. Jamie took off towards him. Jack wrapped his arms around her; Jamie buried her head in his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at her.

Jamie nodded, keeping her head in his shoulder. Jack's dark blonde hair and Jamie's blonde were now dark brown, drops of rain dripping off the ends of their hair. Jack could feel Jamie breathing heavily. The sound of sirens filled the air, over the chatter of the police as they attempted to overtake Tim and Andy's jobs.

"Its okay, Jamie," Jack assured her, dropping his head so it was next to her ear. "It's okay; you're safe."

He could feel her breathing become heavier; before he could reassure her again; her body went limp in his arms. The police cars pulled up, as well as an ambulance, with cops and EMTS hopping out of them quickly and rushing towards Ben, Tim, Andy, the cops, Jack, and Jamie. The rain began to pelt harder than before. Jack began to panic as what seemed to be mayhem ensued. Police surrounded Ben, putting his hands in cuffs; EMTS rushed towards Jack and Jamie, followed closely by Tim and Andy. He held her tightly in his arms, not wanting to let go.

"Sir is she alright?" one of the male EMTS asked. Jack continued to stand there, holding her. "Sir?" Jack shook his head, anger threatening to pour over.

"We need to take her to the ambulance," a woman EMT told him. He pretended not to hear them; he wasn't letting her out of his sight again.

"Jack? Are you listening?" Tim asked his voice filled with concern.

"She could die. We need to check her injuries and get her stabilized," the woman tried again.

Jack's grip loosened a little; a few EMTS whisked her away to the ambulance, leaving Jack to watch as it pulled away.

۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰

Jamie could feel bright lights pounding upon her; her wrists felt like…she couldn't put her finger on it, but there was definitely some weight on them. She shifted a little, trying to sit up. Jamie felt someone helping her. Blinking a little, she laid eyes upon her assistant; needless, to say, she was still a little out of it. He smiled at her, leaned over, and briefly kissed her.

"Jack?" she whispered.

He smiled again, pulling a chair from the wall and sitting next to her. "You shouldn't waste too much of your energy." Before she could protest, he leaned forward. "How do you feel?"

Jamie shifted a little. "I guess it feels like someone dropped a brick on my head…and my wrists…" She glanced down; her wrists were wrapped rather heavily in hospital bandages. "That would explain it…" she muttered under her breath.

Jack looked at the ground, slightly uncomfortable. "Do…do you remember what happened?"

She thought for a moment. "Remember…remember what?"

"You don't remember?" his voice became panicked.

"Wait – what happened?"

Jack stood up and stormed outside the door; when he spotted the doctor, his emotions were finally going to be released. "What's wrong with her?"

The doctor looked up from a file. "She's awake?"

"She's awake and she doesn't remember a thing that happened!"

The doctor sat down the file and picked up another and followed Jack back to the room. "Jamie Evans?"

Jamie looked at him, her green eyes filled with confusion and questions. "Yes?"

"I'm Dr. Pace. I'm going to test your memory real quick. What's your full name?"

"Jamie Victoria Evans."

"Your birthday?"

"September 23rd."

"Siblings?"

"One."

"Name?"

"Dylan."

"What do you remember about August 15?"

"Well…" Jack could tell Jamie's memory was fading around that topic. "…Jack's band had a concert…" The doctor looked at Jack; he nodded. "…I'm sorry, I don't remember anything else."

The doctor took a few quick notes. Jack looked at him, his point proven. "Sometimes when traumatic events occur, our brains go to lengths to block them out. However, we can help you regain those memories…"

"No," Jack cut him off. The doctor and Jamie looked at him. "She shouldn't."

Dr. Pace turned back to Jamie. "It's your choice."

"I trust him," Jamie replied, her eyes never leaving Jack.

The doctor nodded and left the room. Jack and Jamie sat in silence. A nurse came in and changed out a bag; still silence. Jamie wanted to know what happened, but if Jack didn't want her to, it had to have been bad. He was right, after all…wasn't he?

۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰۰

It had been three days since Jamie had woken up and she was finally deemed healthy enough to continue on the tour. Jack helped her down the hallway; both were ready to continue on. The doors flew open to a sea of reporters and photographers began asking and snapping away. Jamie's eyes scanned the crowd quickly, her ears taking in all the questions. Her mind was overrun; she didn't know what she was doing. Jamie turned, as if to turn back and run, but Jack was standing there. Jack caught her in his arms; she buried her head, trying to make it go away.

"Please, no pictures, no questions right now," Jack shouted over the din. People began to part the crowd. It was bodyguards.

"This way," Alex said, guiding them through the aisle made by the bodyguards. Jack kept Jamie close, following Alex into the limo. The door slammed shut and the limo headed for the hotel.

"Are you okay Jamie?" Jack asked her quietly.

She nodded. "I don't know why I did that…it was all I could think to do."

"It'll be okay."

Okay, so there's another chapter! Hope you enjoyed! Pretty please review!


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